One of the major functions of non-refillable and inviolable caps is to offer certain reliability in that the bottled-products using these caps may get to consumers with the same quality as when they left the bottling-machine, thus preventing any alteration (or adulteration) while in transit and before reaching consumers.
The business of non-refillable and inviolable caps is broad and there is a wide range of cap-designs which fulfill their function more or less effectively.
Since the manufacture of caps requires individual moldings, machines and operators for each component thereof, the technological trend of making the function of the caps more effective by simplifying and reducing the number of elements which constitute the same and, even more important, by simplifying the assembling operations where it is necessary to use additional machinery and materials such as ultrasonic-soldering machines and glue continues nowadays.
The above-cited objectives have been achieved only in part in the field, owing mainly to the design characteristics of caps' components.
An example of this type of non-refillable and inviolable caps is that claimed by the Mexican Pat. No. 134542, which includes the well-known components that follow: valve-seat, valve, valve-retention bell (hood), spout, tube and threaded cap.
Notwithstanding the said patent describes the aforecited cap and tube as segments which have been put together so as to constitute only one piece, it is practically impossible to mold it as such, therefore being necessary to solder them together by using an ultrasonic-soldering machine or by any other means; thus increasing the number of the components up to six.
Considering this background, the author of the invention claimed hereby has found that, in order to avoid the use of additional machinery and materials for assembling the caps, it is--necessary to create a combination of components which might be able to attain a flexible coupling among themselves during their purely mechanical assembling-process and which, once assembled, might be able to remain firmly interlocked and fastened, with no possibility of being disassembled but by the necessary breaking of same, indicating thereby the violation thereof.
Furthermore, the inventor has found that, in order to reduce the number of components, it is necessary to re-design and simplify the same in a way which permits their manufacture by means of one machine only: the mechanical assembling one, thereby avoiding the problems of efficiency of the machine and, therefore, reducing the number of steps to be taken and of machines to be used.
The objectives described in the preceding paragraph were achieved by the author of the invention hereby claimed, by designing a novel valve which does not require the inclusion of the well-known valve-retention bell (hood), thereby reducing the number of components down to five, by providing a combination of interfastening-elements among the cap's components, with every one of them being totally manufactured or molded in their respective machines, allowing their purely mechanical assembling and interfastening, without resorting to any additional machinery or materials, and fulfilling their function with a maximum of efficiency, in view of their simplicity.